Fistful of Feet by Jordan Krall Page A

hell was that?”
       “Just wanted to try something new is all,” Chaps said. He smiled and rubbed the spot that had been punched. “We all got to try something new sometime or else life gets a little boring.”
       Nix said, “If you weren’t so good with a whip, I’d kick your ass. Now let’s go back inside. I have an idea.”
    * * *
       Calamaro reached the hotel. Before he walked in, he lit a cigarette. As he looked through the window of the hotel, he noticed that Kersey was staring at him. The man looked nervous.
       Letting the cigarette hang out of his mouth, Calamaro widened his eyes at Kersey who then nodded his head slightly. It was a nearly undetectable signal but a signal nonetheless. Calamaro walked down the alley next to the hotel and around the back to his wooden donkey.
       He put his hand on it and said, “How you holding up, Sartana?”
       With a slight push of a button, a small compartment opened up in the donkey’s back leg. Calamaro took something out and slipped into his jacket pocket. Then he pushed the compartment back, listening for the click to make sure it was locked, and walked into the back door of the hotel.
       Kersey was standing in the hallway, worry still apparent on his wrinkled face. He gave a tiny gesture towards the stairs. Calamaro nodded and proceeded to go in that direction, the cigarette still hanging out of his mouth. He slowly opened the door to his room. He said, “Should have told me you were dropping by, I’d have brought whiskey.”
       Nix was lying on the bed while Chaps stood on the right side of it. From behind the door, Ryan jumped out and took Calamaro’s gun from its holster. He threw the pistol onto the bed next to Nix.
       “Well, you wouldn’t have time to drink it, know what I’m saying?” Nix said, sitting up on the bed. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to reveal his bulging muscles.
       “Not sure I do. I thought we settled this already. A guy can get the wrong idea if three men show up in his bedroom. You boys want me to take my pants off?” Calamaro smirked.
       Ryan laughed but stopped when Nix looked his way.
       “Look, asshole, I’m going to let one of my boys here have at you for a while. Teach you a lesson. Then I’m going to do what I do best.” Nix tapped Ryan and pointed at Calamaro. “Go get him.”
       Ryan rushed forward like an angry child would. Calamaro could see that the guy had no real fighting experience. It took only one uppercut to send Ryan to the floor. He didn’t stay down but instead grabbed for Calamaro’s feet and was met with a kick to the jaw.
       Calamaro pulled him by the shirt and stood him up on wobbly legs. “He had at me. Now what?”
       Nix shook his head. “Lucky shot, motherfucker.”
       “Even so. He’s finished. Are you?”
       “Not by a mile,” Nix said, reaching for his gun. Calamaro pulled Ryan close to him while reaching into his pocket, pulling out a half stick of dynamite. He bent down and stuck it into Ryan’s left boot.
       “Fuck you doing?” Ryan said. He pounded his fists on Calamaro’s back. Nix had his gun pulled and was aiming it at Ryan’s back. Chaps had his whip out but he just held it there like a limp dick.
       Nix said, “Let him go, you sonovabitch.”
       “Anything you say,” Calamaro said. He sent a fist into Ryan’s gut that made him double over. Then he took the cigarette out of his mouth, lit the fuse on the dynamite and pushed Ryan all the way to the window. Nix rolled off the bed and was trying to aim his gun but stopped as he watched Calamaro push Ryan forward. Glass shattered and the man went flying.
       Nix’s mouth opened in shock. He stood up and looked out the window. Ryan was lying on the ground below. Then there was an explosion. Ryan’s legs disappeared in a mess of smoke, flesh, and bone.
       From behind him Calamaro said, “Reach for the ceiling.” Nix felt the barrel of a